FORT MYERS, FL – For the first time this season, the FGCU baseball team (0-4) is set to play at Swanson Stadium, as the team will host Kent State (2-2) for a weekend series Feb. 21-23. Friday's home opener is slated for a 6:30 p.m. start time, with games following at 2 p.m. on Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday. All three games will be streamed on YouTube Live for fans that cannot attend.
A close loss to FAU on Tuesday (Feb. 18) kept the Eagles from earning their first win of the 2020 season. Winning in this season's non-conference slate will be no easy feat. The team's first seven games alone feature a Tulane squad that went to the College World Series in 2001, an FAU team that received an at-large bid to last year's Athens Regional and Kent State, which played in the Lubbock Regional in 2018. Â
Getting on Base
As the lead-off man, junior
Brian Ellis (Oviedo, FL/Hagerty HS) has been getting it done for FGCU. In three of the team's four games, he has started off the game with a single and has an overall on-base percentage of .474. He has drawn a team-high four walks and has cranked out four hits en route to posting a .286 batting average.
The Rookie
Freshman
Kyle Machado (Punta Gorda, FL/Charlotte HS) leads the team with a .300 batting average in his first year suiting up for the Green and Blue. He has cranked out one double and struck out only once this year. Primarily appearing as the DH, he has played in all four games and earned the start in two. Â
Heating Up
During the midweek game against FAU, senior
Alex Brait (Viera, FL/Viera HS) went three-for-five at the plate, scored a run, and pushed one across. In his final campaign with the Green and Blue, he returns as both the team and conference leader in hits from a season ago (76). The team's catcher, he was named a Preseason All-ASUN pick after starting all 55 games in 2019.Â
What a Relief
Though 13 different arms have thrown for the Eagles this season, junior
Gus Carter (Melbourne, FL/FSW) stands out on the stat sheet. Having tossed 3.2 innings of relief through a team-high three appearances, he has posted a 2.45 ERA and has fanned four batters.
Among the team's pitchers that have tossed at least one complete inning, Carter and sophomore
Levi Shuck (Cape Coral, FL/Canterbury HS) lead the team in ERA. In his first year playing collegiate baseball, Shuck has thrown 1.2 innings and owns a 0.00 ERA.
Scouting the Golden Flashes
Kent State enters the weekend sitting at .500 on the season. In its most recent outing, the team suffered a 12-0 loss as the hands of No. 1 Miami on Tuesday night in Coral Gables. Prior to that, the Golden Flashes had earned back-to-back wins over Indiana State and Saint Joseph's.
Though it returned as the reigning champ after winning the MAC Tournament in 2018, the team finished third in last year's league standings. Kent State then lost three of its starters, two of which were pitchers, to the 2019 MLB Draft. Despite the loss, head coach Jeff Duncan has seven players that return from last year's lineup.
Through its first four games, the team has flexed its power in the batter's box. Both redshirt-junior Ben Carew (.462) and sophomore Grant Vera (.417) are slashing over .400, while seniors Patrick Ferguson (.333) and Cam Touchette (.333) sit over .300. Ferguson leads the team with five RBI, while Touchette's two doubles are the most extra-base hits by any player on the team.
As a staff, Kent State pitchers own a 4.37 ERA. Last weekend's starting rotation of sophomore Luke Albright, junior Collin Romel and junior Ryan Lane combined for eight earned runs and fanned 10 batters. Senior Zach Schultz has been one of the team's go-to relievers, as he has posted a 0.00 ERA through five innings. Â
Overall, the Golden Flashes have thrown 12 different arms this season. The staff has combined for 23 punchouts, 10 extra-base hits and has been charged with 17 earned runs.
First Timers
Friday's game will be the first in the history between the two teams. Last season, the Eagles earned a 6-0 advantage over new opponents, with all six of those wins coming at Swanson Stadium.
The Golden Flashes are 1-1 against first-time opponents this season, having dropped a game to Iowa but triumphed over Saint Joseph's.
What to Watch
The Skipper: In his 18th season, head coach
Dave Tollett is one game away from reaching 600 career wins. A victory at Swanson Stadium would mark his first milestone result at home since his 200th win, which was over Fairfield back in 2008. The skipper also achieved his 100th win at home, with a 29-5 result over Saint Rose in 2005.
The Home Team: Over the past 17 seasons, the Eagles have earned an 11-6 advantage in home-openers. The team's largest margin of victory on opening night at Swanson Stadium was a 25-0 shutout over Clark Atlanta in 2007. In the program's DI era (since 2008), that value changes to 10 runs, which it has achieved twice: during an 11-1 victory over Southeastern (2008) and a 10-0 blanking of Temple (2010).
Swanson Stadium: Prior to the start of the season, the FGCU athletics department announced details of the upcoming Daktronics videoboard addition to Swanson Stadium. The new high-definition board is set to be installed in February and is part of a $1 million gift generously donated by former FGCU baseball standout and current major league ace Chris Sale and his wife Brianne (FGCU, '16). The target date for the first use of the new board is March 24 when the Eagles host FIU at Swanson Stadium.
For complete coverage of FGCU baseball, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_Baseball and online atÂ
www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU baseball or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visitingÂ
www.fgcuathletics.com/email.
COACHÂ TOLLETT
FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 599-362-3 overall record (.623) and a 199-109 (.646) record in the ASUN. He is the only head coach in the program's history and led the program to its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2017. He is a five-time ASUN Coach of the Year and has guided the Green and Blue to five ASUN Regular Season Championships and one ASUN Tournament Championship. His team has been ranked nationally on several occasions, including as high as No. 9 in the country in 2017, and has coached 54 all-conference selections, 33 draft picks, three current major leaguers, 13 current minor leaguers, four ASUN Pitchers of the Year, four All-Americans, three ASUN Players of the Year, one National Freshman Player of the Year, one National Player of the Year and one seven-time MLB All-Star.
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
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WE'VE GOT YOUR SEAT!
Single game tickets, group packages, and Spring Frequent Flyer Passes are on sale now. Single game tickets are good for all games occurring on a single day and are $7 for adults, $5 for youth (ages 3-15), and $5 for current or former US military service members.
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Groups of 15 or more can enjoy a day at the ballpark with reserved block seating, group activities, and the choice of free FGCU gear or concessions. Packages start at just $7 per person. Call the ticket office at 239-590-7145 for more information or to book your group.
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The Spring Frequent Flyer Pass allows multiple entries into Softball and Baseball during the 2020 regular season. Passes are available for 15, 30, and 60 entries for any regular season home game. They can be used in any combination until the pass is exhausted. Passes cost $60 for 15 entries, $105 for 30 entries, and $180 for 60 enties.
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Single game tickets and Frequent Flyer Passes can be purchased in advance online at FGCUTickets.com or over the phone at 239-590-7145.
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
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ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 81 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 12-plus seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just eight-plus seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including women's basketball (2019-20) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2018 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for twenty-one consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall semester saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
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